
Book , H '\^(^ 



Hf^i^ 



Old 

Bofton Town, 

» 
Early in this Century ; 

By an i8oi-er, 

[Copyright secured by the Author in 1880.] 



'rinted by Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. , of New York, for the Author. 



Old 

Bofton Town, 

Early in this Century ; 
By an i8oi-er. 

[Copyright secured Dv ti»e Author ir iSic] 



Printed by Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co., of New York, for the Author. 



For Bill of Fare, see inlide page. 



CONTENTS 

(partial exhibit.) 



Going it, while young-, to school. 

Fort Hill, and who lived there. 

Harris' Folly. 

Blind Asylum. 

Col. Perkins. 

Dr. S. G. Howe. 

Robt. Treat Paine. 

Only One Restaurant in Boston, in 1805. 

Julien's in Milk Street. 

Bill Fenno's. 

School Houses. 

Old Dr. Warren. 

Cataract Engine. 

Extinguisher Engine. 

Cape Cod Merchants. 

New York Packets. 

Faneuil Hall Market. 

Military Companies — their Armories and Officers. 

Old Mill and Mill Pond. 

Causeway. 

Holbrook's Oyster Boats. 

Fish Street, Back Street, Middle Street, and other outlandish places. 

Old Merchants. 

" Old Ironsides." 

Chowder at Noddles' Island. 

Doyle's Museum and its successors. 



Eridg^es and Ferries. 
Ancient style of putting out fires. 
Washington Garden. 
" Forty Associates" and their works. 
Granary. 
Frog Pond. 
Roebuck Tavern. 

School Houses, Masters and Ushers. 
Battle of the Chesapeake and Shannon. 
Original New England Guards. 
Rifle Rangers. 

Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. 
Newspapers, Editors, Publishers, Printers and Stationers. 
Squantum. 

Sea Serpent, (nothing about " What I Know"). 
Hanging Pirates on Roxbury Flats. 
Old Exchange Coffee House. 
Province House and Other Taverns 

Meeting Houses and Ministers — and only one Catholic Church. 
Prison Ship in 1S13, 
Commodore Hull and Captain Dacres. 
Old Boston and other Theatres. 
George Frederick Cooke, Tom Cooper, etc. 
Stage Drivers and Servant Girls. 
How not to make Sailors. 

Why Mayor Shurtleff was not Killed when he was a Boy. 
Something about Hats, Aristocracy, Old Clothes, Banking and Roy- 
alty, and "other articles too numerous to mention." 



To my Readers (if any) : 

The following letters were written in 1880, and it was 
thought would be printed about the time of the Great Jam- 
boree, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the settlement 
of Boston. 

but they were not published, because, well, because they 
were not, that's all. 

Hoping that the contents may aiford to many a pleasant 
half hour's reading, 

I remain, in good health. 

Yours very truly, 

A BOSTON BOY OF 1801. 



LETTERS ABOUT 

OLD BOSTON TOWN, 

EARLY IN THIS CENTURY. 
By an ISOIer. 

{Copyright secured ly Author, September, 1880.) 



OuT-oF-TowN, July, 1880. 
My young friend : 

It is quite possible that at times my dates may 
get somewhat mixed, as I have never seen Shurt- 
leff's History of Boston, nor that of any other 
person ; have no memoranda to assist me, and am 
obliged to rely exclusively upon my memory for 
all 1 may indite. And it is no trifle for a fellow to 
force his hind sight back seventy of seventy-five 
years ; if you think otherwise, just try it. Hope 
you will have a chance. 

I have no very distinct recollection of any facts 
prior to 1805. At that time w^as sent to school to 
Miss Betsey Holland, daughter of Captain John 
Holland, who lived in Oliver street, some hundred 
and fifty feet from Milk street. It is impossible to 
tell what school books were inflicted upon me, but 
it is well remembered that I became quite an ex- 



pert at hemming crash towels. Opposite to Cap- 
tain Holland was a large double house — one of the 
finest then in town. One-half was occupied by 
Isaac Winstow, a Long Wharf merchant, the other 
by Alexander Young, one of the proprietors of the 
Palladium newspaper, and father of the late Rev. 
Dr. Alex. Young. 

Fort Hill was then beginning to be a fashionable 
place of residence, and many fine three or four story 
brick houses were being erected there. Among 
the residents were Zebedee Cook, a merchant 
and most elegant gentleman, and John Brooks, 
husband of Mrs. Mary A. Brooks, the poet, (Maria 
del Occidente). Their houses were on the north 
side of the circle, and were situated on the opposite 
corners of Hamilton street. Somebody told me 
there wasn't any Fort Hitivnow ; well, there must 
have been several cart loads of dirt to carry away. 

Not on Fort Hill, but at the junction of High 
vStreet, and the head of Pearl street, there was built, 
in the first decade of the present century, the largest 
private residence probably then in Boston. It 
had a dome almost rivalling that on the State 
House. It was always called Harris' folly. Why 
it was thusly spoken of, cannot say ; but suppose 
his bank account did not hold out as long as he 
expected when the building was commenced. Re- 
member him distinctly, as a fine, portly, aristocratic 
looking gentleman, who was then, or before, a ship 
chandler on Purchase street. One of his sons was, 
several years afterwards.. United States Marshal 
for Massachusetts. 



Some of the finest old mansions in town were then 
in Pearl street. They were back from the street 
some seventy or eighty feet, Avith old chestnut trees 
and gardens in front, and occupied by some of 
Boston's best townsmen. Remember the names of 
none of the residents, except that of my kinsman, 
Geii^ James Lovell, surveyor of the port. 

But the iron heel of Commerce has long since 
crushed out these old homes, and many others in 
the old town and their sites, are they not marked 
by monumental tombstones of Quincy granite ? 

Not far from seventy -five years since, Col 
Thomas H. Perkins built a fine modern residence 
in Pearl street, in which his family resided several 
years. He afterwards made a gift of it as the first 
Asylum for the Blind, under the management of 
Dr. Samuel G. Howe. About the same time an- 
other elegant mansion oi brick was constructed for 
and occupied by a Mr. Pratt, a wealthy merchant of 
the town. 

At the corner of Federal and Milk streets was 
the old Mansion of Robert Treat Paine, with 
fine outlying grounds. And, nearly opposite, 
corner Milk and Congress streets, was an old resi- 
dence, which was occupied by Julien, a French 
cook, and was then the only place in town where 
a party of bon-vivants could obtain a first-class 
dinner. 

In 1805 there was but a single commercial estab- 
lishment on Milk street, from the Old South to the 
water. This one was in a small wooden building 
then called a " ten-footer." This shanty was nearly 



opposite to Oliver street, and was the only build- 
ing on a triangular piece of ground called Liberty 
Square. The remainder of the lot was generally 
occupied by dilapidated trucks and wagons, old 
boxes, barrels, and rubbish generally. 

The above mercantile concern was kept by a 
venerable old lady called Aunty Spaulding, whose 
stock in trade consisted of needles, pins, tape, 
marbles, tops, molasses candy, green apples, and 
other like necessities for small children ; at any 
rate, such condiments as school children always 
delight in. It is very likely that for every cent I 
spent with Aunty Spaulding, it cost my parents 
a dollar, for the benefit of good Dr. John Warren, 
then our domestic physician. By the way, our 
Dr. Warren was at least the great grandfather of 
the present race of Drs. Warren. He lived in a 
fine house in School street, two houses below 
Master SneUing's school-house. The house and 
its extensive yard and garden were afterward oc- 
cupied by Thos. Niles as an extensive livery stable. 
Not the house. 

At the corner of Milk and Batterymarch streets 
was an old wooden building occupied by Cotton 
& Marston, " house, ship and sign painters." 
Sometime afterwards, Mr. Cotton sold his interest 
to his partner, and established himself as a book- 
seller, 1 think, at the corner of Marlboro and 
Franklin streets ; being the founder of the publish- 
ing house bearing his name. 

Next to Cotton's paint shop was another small 
wooden building, occupied by Nath. Brewer, 



II 



glazier ; and next to that was a three-story wooden 
house, in which my father Hved, and in which I 
complimented the town of Boston, by allowing 
myself to be born in 1801. Several years ago the 
parlor of our old house was Hamblin's Oyster 
Saloon, and the room overhead, in which I first 
saw daylight, was a carpenter's shop. By-the-way, 
this Hamblin was the father of the brave General 
Hamblin, of the war of the rebellion, who died 
four or five years ago, a Seventh Regiment 
man. 

On the opposite side of Batterymarch street, at 
the corner where Odiorne's nail store was built, 
there was a one-story wooden building standing on 
spiles, and the water coming under it at high tides ; 
over the big double door of this building was the 
sign *' Cataract Engine ;" when the dock was filled 
up, the old Cataract House was removed to Milk 
street, nearly opposite to Pearl street. Imme- 
diately next to the old engine house were ways for 
building or repairing small vessels — don't remem- 
ber which — but I do recollect that about 1805 there 
was a vessel on the ways, her bowsprit sticking 
out nearly across Batterymarch street, and almost 
reaching my mother's bedroom windows. From 
there, running towards the bend of that street, 
at Hamilton street, were lots of spars afloat, caulk- 
er's stages, &c., and standing over the water at 
the head of about what is now the west side of 
India street, was my father's sail loft, which was 
afterwards burned. The end of Batter3^march 
street was called Tilden's Wharf. 



12 

Some two years afterwards when all this dock 
property had been filled up, and Broad and India 
streets had been built, (1806 and 1807), the foot- 
way from Long Wharf to India street was a wooden 
bridge about four feet wide, with a wooden railing. 
It was here that the New York packet schooners 
made their headquarters. They all hailed from 
some place on Cape Cod, and the number of 
Halletts, Bearses, Scudders, Bakers, Crockers, 
Nickinses, Chases, and most of the other names 
in the Cape Cod directory was very great, 
who used to congregate by the score in the 
stores on India street. M}^ impression is that 
the old foot bridge was doing duty in 1825, 
perhaps later. At low tides people would have to 
stoop to enable them to pass under the bowsprits 
of the schooners. 

Before Quincy market Avas built, the only 
market house in town was in old Faneuil Hall. 
Boylston market was then fion est. Almost any 
morning might be seen Col. Thos. H. Perkins, 
Harrison Gray Otis, William (Billy) Gray, Ben. 
Bussey, Peter C. Brooks, Israel Thorndike and 
other wealthy towns folk, trudging homeward for 
their eight o'clock breakfast, with tlieir market 
baskets containing their one o'clock dinner. Per- 
haps you can now discover your present million- 
aires doing the same thing. *' If so, make a note 
on't " and let me know per telephone? No 
flowers. 

The dealers in the market house occupied the 
whole of the first floor of Faneuil Hall, and they 



13 

used the cellars for the storage of salted meats, 
fish, and other barreled stuff The large room on 
the floor above was never used except for political 
meetings and big dinners. The upper floor con- 
tained all the armories which were then required 
for the military companies of the town. It seems 
as if I can almost recollect the location of each 
armory nearly 70 years ago. On the left of the 
entrance was the armory of the Winslow Blues ; 
(isn't Simpson, their old lifer, still buzzing around ?) 
then the Boston Light Infantry, Capt Henry 
Sargent ; next the Independent Fusileers, and in 
the upper corner, the Soul ot Soldier}^, composed of 
the non-commissioned officers of militia companies. 
On the right was the Washington Light Infantry, 
composed of Democrats, next the New England 
Guards (when first organized) then armorers' 
rooms ; Ancient and Honorables and the Cadets 
in the upper right hand corner. The latter was 
comm.anded by Col. Thos. F. Apthorp, a most 
soldierly looking gentleman. When the Rifle 
Rangers first started, that corps also had an 
armory here. There were also two artillery com- 
panies in town seventy years ago ; one had its '* gun 
house " at the bottom of the Common, the other on 
Fort Hill. 

W^ill write something more about sogering when 
an opportunity offers. Till when, yours truly, 

OXYGEN-AlRIAN. 



14 

OuT-OF-TowN, Jtily, 

My young friend : 

You will please bear in mind that \\\i 
lived in Boston for the last forty-five yea 
during those years have not slept in your tv 
dozen times. Hence the names of many *, of 
streets are entirely unknown to me, for at the me 
I have been writing about, and propose to con- 
tinue to do so, the town of Boston was not as large 
by one hundred acres, as the Central Park in New 
York. I am told that by filling in the Mill Pond, 
Back Bay, and other places, Boston is now at 
least 350 acres larger than the New York park. 
So you must not criticize my geography too 
closely, nor my dates, for as you were told before, 
I have nothing but my memory to guide me. My 
nurse is now living in Boston, bright as a dollar. 
She is several years my senior, but if I had her 
memory I could indite more interesting letters. 

About where the western entrance of Quincy 
Market now is, there used to be lying in dock (say 
in 1 8 10), two old hulks, which were roofed over, 
and from which vessels the inhabitants obtained 
their chief supply of oysters. The oyster boats 
used to sail up the harbor to these hulks, and de- 
posit their cargoes, from whence they were dis- 
tributed to the smaller dealers. You got on board 
over a narrow foot-bridge, and several small tables 
were standing ready, with a tin pepper and salt 
box thereon, and wayfarers would be accommo- 



15 

dated with a dozen raw on the shell, and a two 

tin'^-' eel fork to pick them up with. But Father 

3k never would allow his customers to 

his 'isters" with lemon juice, or any such 

. V' Nothing but salt and pepper onto this 

he used to say. 

he immediate neighborhood of these oyster 
^^^^^ , there was a narrow, crooked lane leading 
mt- Ann street. It was hardly wide enough for 
two vehicles to pass each other, and had no side- 
walks nor any name that can be now recollected. 
Perhaps it has since been widened, straightened 
and christened. In a corner or curve of this lane 
was an old tavern called the Roebuck, not a very 
respectable place of resort seventy years ago. 
About that time a murder was committed in this 
tavern by some Panish or Swedish sailors. While 
writing, the names of two of them occur to me, 
John P. Rog and Nils Peterson. These men and 
two others were hanged at the same time on the 
left hand side of Roxbury Neck, a little beyond 
the road leading to South Boston bridge. I don't 
recollect any particulars about the murder, but 
remember at the hanging there were people selling 
'' pairs of verses " about the whole affair. Only 
two lines of these " verses" stick to me: 

" And, oh, the cruel murderers ! it was a dreadful sin, 
The one he took a log-gerhead, another a rolling pin." 

About seventy years ago two pirates were sen- 
tenced to be hung at South Boston. Sam TuUy 
was hung, his companion was reprieved on the 



i6 

gallows. His name was Dallon, and he was after- 
wards a Baptist or Methodist preacher. 

What is now North street, was, in 1805, called 
Fore street, afterwards changed to Ann street, as 
far down as North Square, thence to its termina- 
tion, it was Fish street. Its original name of Fore 
street was probably adopted because it was the 
marginal street, the water from the harbor coming 
up at high tides to within one hundred feet of 
Fore street, as the writer can testify, having been 
in swimming at least hundreds of times within 
forty yards of No. 45 Ann street. Back street 
was so called for a similar reason, as the water of 
Mill Pond formerly came up to the yards of the 
houses on Back Street. The Baptist Meeting 
houses of Doctors Baldwin and Stillman were 
situated on this street for the convenience of 
having the baptistry over the water. Have seen 
several persons baptized in Mill Pond. Middle 
street was between Fore and Back streets. These 
three streets were the only direct thoroughfares 
from the extreme north end to the other parts of 
the town. 

Many sailor boarding houses were situated in 
North Square and Fish street ; hence Ann street 
was largely filled with slop-shops, as sailors' cloth- 
ing stores were called, with cheap hat stores and 
small wares for seamen's use. The centre of the 
hardware trade was in Dock Square and in adjoin- 
ing Union street. There were John Odin, Stephen 
Fairbanks, Homes & Homer, B. B. Osgood. Henry 
Loring, and others. An old play mate of the writer 



^7 

was, in 1815, a boy in one of these store«=, but he 
got tired of hammering- on brass kettles, and for 
the last forty years has supplied your folks with a 
better class of music. 

In the latter part of the past century, there was 
a shipyard near Battery Wharf. It was called 
Hartt's Yard. At this yard the old frigate Consti- 
tution was built, and the father of this deponent, 
being a nautical tailor, cut, fitted and made the 
first suit (of sails) that Old Ironsides ever wore. 
We had no navy yards then, and all work for Gov- 
ernment was done by private hands. 

Seventy years ago, it was a frequent practice of 
schoolboys to spend their Saturday afternoons on 
an island in the harbor. We provided ourselves 
Avith a pot, frying pan, and other things requisite 
for a chowder and a fry, and taking a boat at Win- 
nisimit Ferry, would pull to the island, land our 
traps, then go and catch some fish, and return to 
the island and prepare the festival. Drift wood 
along shore furnished fuel, and after our sumptu- 
ous repast, we would have a good swim, there not 
being a house or resident on the island (except a 
man who tended a fiock of sheep), and then we 
would pull our boat for home. If you look at that 
island now, you will see East Boston. 

Seventy-five years ago, the only bridges leading 
to and from Boston, were Charlestown Bridge and 
Cambridge Bridge, leading to Old Cambridge. 
Cragie's Bridge, to Cambridgeport, was built 
some few years afterwards, and Warren Bridge 
and the Milldam still later. Roxbury Neck was 



the only land connecting the town with the main- 
land, and many times has the writer hereof waded 
across Roxbury Neck, when the tide had risen ten 
or twelve inches over the road. 

At this time, Cornhill commenced at the Old 
South, and extended to Dock Square. From the 
Old South to Summer and Winter streets, it was 
Marlborough street ; thence to Boylston street, it 
was Newberry street ; continuing up it was Orange 
street for half a mile, then Washington street to 
Roxbury street and the line. It is much more 
convenient to call it Washington street, right 
straight along. 

So with Tremont street. That name went from 
Court street to Park street ; thence it was Com- 
mon street up to Boylston street ; thence Pleasant 
Street till it twisted round into Orange street. On 
the south side ol Charles street, at foot of the 
Common, were four ropewalks, standing on spiles; 
they were burned down. The tide used to flow 
over Charles street into the lower part of the 
Common, and the grass growing in the swamp 
there was regular sedge, or salt water grass. 

Yours truly, 

OXYGEN-AIRIAN. 



19 

Out-of-town, July, 1880. 

My young friend : 

Seventy-five years ago, there was a large, old 
fashioned brick building, standing on the corner 
of Milk and Oliver streets. It was occupied by 
Mr. Doyle, an artist of much ability, and very 
scientific. He had quite a fine collection of curios- 
ities, and much wax-work of his own skill. His 
place was called either Doyle's Museum, or the 
Boston Museum. It was partially or wholly de- 
stroyed by fire, between 1806 and 1810; and at 
that fire, a boy named Will Homer, fell out of a 
window and was killed. He was a twin of James 
L. Homer, afterwards of the Boston Gazette. 

Mr. Doyle afterwards had his museum in a large 
three-story building, between the jail and the 
school house in School street. The front of the 
building was about on a line with the east wall of 
the Stone Chapel burying ground. The entrance 
was through a lane running alongside the north 
wall from Tremont street. Don't remember 
whether Doyle died, or sold out ; but his curiosi- 
ties were removed to Scollay's building, and the 
New England Museum was there opened by Mr. 
Greenwood. He was a dentist, formerly lived 
in Sudbury street, and was father of Rev. Dr. 
Greenwood, successor to Dr. James Freeman 
minister of the Stone Chapel. Doyle had a 
daughter Margaret, whose beautiful miniatures on 
ivory may be found in many of the old Boston 
families. 



20 

In course of time, Greenwood sold his concern 
to David and Moses Kimball, who then established 
the Boston Museum in Tremont street. The rear 
of it is not a hundred feet from Doyle's old place. 

Writing of fires, reminds me that boys in those 
days were an important element in the Volunteer 
Fire Department. It was by law, decreed that 
every house-keeper should have in a convenient 
and conspicuous place, two leathern fire-buckets, 
with his name painted thereon. The most " conv. 
and conspic." place Avould be the front entry ; 
hence, on entering the front door of a residence, 
rich or poor, the first things that struck the eye, 
were the fire buckets. Each bucket contained a 
long canvas bag, suitable for removing clothing, 
books and small valuables, and also a bed-key, for 
unscrewing bedsteads. 

It was the duty of the householder, on hearing 
the ringing of the fire bells, to carry his buckets to 
the place of the fire. Two lines would then be 
formed from each engine to the nearest pumps. 
The men and big boys would pass the full buckets 
to the engine, and the ** young 'uns," like me, pass 
up the empty buckets to the pump. Oh, how my 
ambitious little heart used to beat at the thought 
that some day or other I should take my place in 
the full bucket line ! After a fire was extinguished, 
the buckets would be ranged alongside the nearest 
fences, and their owners would take them home, 
and polish them off to be ready for the next alarm. 

Excuse me, my friend, for here indulging in a 
little personal feeling. My first love was the Old 



21 

Cataract,and I stuck to her till I was nine years old, 
when my father moved " down to the North-end." 
Then my affections were transferred to the little 
Extinguisher, about the size of a lawn sprinkler of 
the present day. She was housed on the draw- 
bridge over Mill Creek, in Ann street. But she 
would throw water! It went up like a skyrocket. 
In her service I was promoted to the full-bucket 
line, when I was twelve years old. Happy davs ! 
Va/e. 

OXYGEN-AIRIAN. 



OUT-OF-ToWN, S'ufy, 1880. 

My young friend : 

With the thermometer at 95^, you can hardly 
expect me to remember the date when certain 
capitalists of Boston formed what would now be 
called a syndicate, but which they called '' The 
Forty Associates." Some wicked people (who 
probably couldn't get into the ring) called them 
The Forty — something else. The object of the 
Association was the purchase and improvement of 
real estate. Its managing man was a shrewd, smart, 
lively little person, Amos Cotting. The property 
between Court street and (old) Cornhill was pur- 
chased, and a wide street cut through, from Scol- 
lay's Building leading to Dock Square. It was 
first called Market street, but alter Quincy Market 
was built, and a street alongside of it was chris- 
tened North Market street, the name of the former 
was changed to New Cornhill. Is that its name 
now ? 



22 

The buildings on each side were very substan- 
tial, uniformly four stories, brick. The only one 
among the first occupants, whose name is now re- 
membered by me, was James A. Dickson, formerly 
the comedian, Dickenson, of the Federal Street 
Theatre. He started an elegant music store on 
New Cornhill, at the corner of Dorset's Alley. 
The other stores were soon filled up, principally 
by dealers in dry goods and furniture. The Asso- 
ciation made several other improvements, par- 
ticulars of which are forgotten. 

Pemberton's Hill was, doubtless, a part of Bea- 
con Hill. Why called Pemberton, probably some 
of the historians of Boston have told. At the cor- 
ner of Tremont street, there was a princely man- 
sion, owned by Gardiner Greene. The grounds 
must have occupied several acres, extending to 
Howard street, and I don't know how far up the 
hill. The owner was very liberal in allowing visit- 
ors to look over the grounds, graperies, green- 
houses, &c., &c. If 1 am not mistaken, Lord Lynd- 
hurst, and Copley, the great painter, were born 
here. 

On Tremont street, between Greene's place and 
Beacon street, were three or four splendid resi- 
dences, which were on the slope of the hill, set 
back one hundred feet from the street, with fine 
gardens and lawns in front. Only remember the 
name of one resident ; it was Lieut -Gov. William 
Phillips, under Gov. Caleb Strong. He was also 
one of the deacons of the Old South His house 
was opposite the Stone Chapel burying ground. 



Common street commenced at Park street, and 
terminated at Boylston street ; then it was Pleas- 
ant street till it reached Orang-e street. Opposite 
the Common, beginning- at Winter street, was a 
long row of buildings called CoUonade Row. 
Nearly opposite Park Street Church, was a large 
family mansion, with extensive g-rounds. This was, 
about seventy years ago, converted into a place of 
amusement, and called Washington Garden. Open- 
air concerts, ice cream, lemonade (with sticks), 
and flirtations were the chief amusements. 

It has been previously stated that, seventy-five 
years ago, Mrs. Spaulding's candy shop was the 
only commercial establishment in Milk street. 
Now, be it known, that seventy years ago, there 
was not a single store of any kind in either Tremont, 
School, Common, Boylston, West, Winter, Summer, 
Atkinson, Berry streets or Franklin Square. Frank- 
lin Square was filled with elegant residences, oc- 
cupied by such townspeople as Thomas Wiggles- 
worth, Joseph P. and Josiah Bradleer, and others 
of like position in life. 

The old Court House was in Court street, about 
where is now Court Square. It was a substantial 
brick structure, two stories high, and its front came 
out to the sidewalk. On the lower floor were 
offices for the sheriff, constables and clerks, and 
the court room was on the floor above. Sheriff 
Sumner occupied a brick house which stood where 
Adams' Express office now is. Shubael Bell was 
then jailer, was afterwards appointed sheriff, and 
occupied the above house. In the rear was the 



24 

jail, a three-story stone or brick building, thorough- 
ly whitewashed both outside and inside. It had 
corridors outside on the second and third stories, 
which were used by visitors going there to see 
their friends who were confined for debt. The 
writer was never inside, but he once looked in at 
the grated window, being held up by his father, 
who called to carry some provisions for an impe- 
cunious friend. 

Between the jail and the school house on School 
street was Doyle's Museum. All these old build- 
ings must have been torn down somewhere between 
1820 and 1825, to make room for the New Court 
House and City Hall, for Boston was a city at the 
latter date. 

Three-quarters of a century ago, there were only 
four public schools in Boston for teaching English 
and writing, and the Latin school. The North End 
School was in Middle street, somewhere near 
Richmond street, and was under command of 
Master Johnny Tileston ; the South End School, 
corner of West and Common streets, under Mas- 
ters Payson and Webb ; that in School street, 
which stood where the Cit}^ Hall now is, was dis- 
ciplined (yes, indeed, it was!) by Masters Jones, 
Snellingand Haskell ; and the school at the corner 
of Sudbury street and Chardon's Lane was man- 
aged by Masters Holt and MuUiken. Each of these 
teachers had an assistant, who was called the 
" usher." The writer was only personally ac- 
quainted with two ushers. One was always 
called Little Billy, a younger brother of Master 



25 

Snelling, and *' Tooter Hart," who was usher 
to Master MuUiken. The only duty these ushers 
ever performed for me was to announce my name 
very loudly to the master, whenever they thought 
his special attentions were required for my benefit 
(which was not seldom). Usher Hart got his 
nickname from the boys because he used to 
'' toot " on a clarionette with the band when there 
was a military parade. 

The Latin school house was on the site of the 
lower portion of the Parker House, in School 
street. Its head was Master Bigelow, father of 
John P. Bigelow, once mayor of the city, and an 
old friend of mine. At the lower end of the Latin 
school house was a lane leading up to the rear of 
the Province House, where were the stables of the 
greatest truck proprietor of those days, Mr. Zeph 
Spurr, weight 360 lbs. 

Writing of Chardon's Lane reminds me that 
seventy years ago there was a '* causeway," which 
started from about that lane, or Pitt's Lane, and 
enclosed the Mill Pond, the other end being at 
Prince street. It was built of rough granite 
blocks, and was seven or eight feet broad There 
was probably a sluice gate somewhere in it, but I 
was too young to inquire about it. The only prac- 
tical use it was ever put to, of my own knowledge, 
was that of the regular Saturday afternoon battle 
ground between the North and South-enders. 
Whew ! it's too hot to think about those terrific 
combats. Truly yours, 

OXYGEN-AIRIAN. 



26 



OUT-OF-TOWX, July, 1880. 

My you ng fr lend: 

I was obliged to chop off one of my late letters 
rather suddenly. Was writing- about the military 
companies, and the organization of the N. E. 
Guards and the Rifle Rangers. There was also 
an artillery company started early in the war of 
1812, composed exclusively of persons who were, 
or had been, sailors. It was called the Sea Fenci- 
bles, and was commanded by Capt Winston 
Lewis, who was a ship chandler in the lower end 
of State street. The " gun-house " of the Fenci- 
bles was at the bottom of the Common, near the 
burying ground. 

There was not much soldiering in those days ; 
there was a pretty general turn out of uniformed 
companies on Nigger 'Lection and Fourth of July, 
and the Ancient and Honorable was out its once 
in a year on Artillery Election Day. The various 
uniformed companies each celebrated its anniver- 
sary. The Governor was escorted to Cambridge 
on Commencement Day by a company of cavalry, 
before the Lancers was organized. Tlie company 
was also reinforced by a numerous body of truck- 
men, with their long white frocks ; and I should 
not wonder if this led to the formation of the 
Lancers, as the first, or an early, commander of 
that fine corps, was a stalwart leader of the truck- 
men's guild. Is good naturcd Peter Dunbar now 
in your midst? 



27 

The New England Guards made a very hasty 
parade one Sunday morning in 1813. By some 
means or other, news was received in Boston that 
the Constitution was being chased by a British 
seventy-four. By private signal or notice the 
N. E G. mustered some seventy or eighty men at 
the armory at about 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning, 
and with a drum and fife started on their march 
towards the British seventy-four. How our brave 
boys were going to attack the big ship, never en- 
tered the mind of this deponent. He only knows 
that the martial spirit pervaded his manly breast, 
and for the time being, he became an honorary 
member of the N. E.G. , acting in the double capacity 
of powder-monkey and tincup- bearer. On the ar- 
rival of the company at the Navy Yard, Charles- 
town, Capt. Sullivan was informed by Com. Bain- 
bridge that the Constitution had run safely into 
Marblehead The company returned home just 
as meetings were dismissed. The N. E. G. also 
served several days in throwing up the intrench- 
ments at Dorchester Heights. Suppose other 
military companies were also drafted for similar 
purposes -at Deer Island, but I only know person- 
ally of the doings oi our company, of which my 
only brother was an original member. 

There was also another great parade about sev- 
enty years ago, composed of a large number of 
the substantial towns folk, who used to assemble 
on the Common once or oftener in a year, to assist 
at certain Indian rites, called the Feast of Squan- 
tum. The writer frequently expressed a desire to 



28 

participate in what was going on, and was assured 
that Squantum was no place for little boys. The 
cavalcade was mounted on the best horses the 
town could produce ; riders with long suwarrow 
or white-top boots, made a gallant show when they 
crossed South Boston bridge. Was never out of 
bed when they got back. The reflection of ma- 
turer years leads me to believe that it was quite 
possible for those gay cavaliers to celebrate the 
Indian festival, a la Mammoth Cod Association of a 
later day. We know about that honored institution ! 
Am not certain whether anything in these letters 
has referred to newspapers, seventy years ago. 
Well, at a venture, and risk of repetition : at that 
time there was 710 daily paper published in Boston ; 
altho' a paper was issued every day. The Boston 
Gazette was published on Mondays and Thursdays 
by Beals & Homer; the Palladmm on Tuesdays 
and Fridays, by Young & Mimes ; and the Colum- 
bian Centinel by Major Ben. Russel, on Wednes- 
days and Saturdays. Some years afterwards the 
American Traveller was published on Tuesdays 
and Fridays by Badger & Porter, and was devoted 
to matters more specially interesting to travellers, 
but having no commercial character whatever. 
Mr. Willard Badger had been the keeper of a 
private school in Dorsett's Alley. The first dailies 
were the Daily Advertiser^ morning, about 181 3, 
and Transcript, evening, after that date, the latter 
being about 9x12. Well, it has earned its success 
and present size. Dear old Lynde Walter, H. W. 
Button and Wentworth, put their whole souls in it. 



29 

The Galaxy, weekly, was started by J. T. Buck- 
ino^ham, either during, or shortly after the war of 
1 812. The Post and Statesman still later. After 
1820 newspapers sprouted rapidly in Boston, 
which " continues even unto the present day." 
The old Boston Recorder was, however, published 
by Nathaniel Willis (father of N. P. \V.) more than 
70 years ago. 

It may seem strange to the present aristocratic 
residents of Beacon Hill, to be told that 70 years 
since a portion of the hill between Cambridge and 
Beacon streets, was called '' Nigger Hill," and 
there lived, generally in squalor, nearly all the 
colored people of the town ; such as chimney- 
sweeps, scavengers, waiters, &c. There were 
many very low white women who lived on the 
" Hill," and the nigger dance houses were the 
resort of the worst kind of people. There was a 
similar place at North-end, visited by sailors and 
peopled by the loAvest grade of women. It would 
not have been considered proper, seventy years 
ago, to put the name of Tin-pot Alley in print, or 
speak it to ears polite. 

Having no hand-book, or memoranda to guide 
me, cannot give the date when the Exchange 
Coffee House was built. It must have been com- 
menced about 1808 or 18 10; and from its great 
size, probably three or four years- were required 
in its construction. It was at least one hundred 
feet square, possibly more, with a front on Con- 
gress street, and a rear entrance on Devonshire 
street, which was then only a narrow lane. The 



30 

most imposing entrance, however, faced the open- 
ing upon State street. It had an elegant portico, 
and the ascent to the main floor was up a double 
flight of long stone steps. The building was five 
or six stories high, and surmounted by a dome 
over the large centre room which was used as an 
Exchange. This was the first building%ver erected 
in Boston, expressly for a public house. All the 
taverns which will be noticed hereafter by me, 
were originally private dwelling houses previous 
to the commencement of this century. 

The Old Province House was the only exception. 
That was the Governor's residence in colonial 
times, and was kept by Mr. Benjamin Crombie as 
a tavern, or rather as a large public boarding 
house about seventy years since. In my boyish 
days, the whole terraced front garden was open to 
Marlborough street, with fine old trees around it. 
Later the block of brick stores was built on Marl- 
borough street, and the entrance to the Province 
House, which stood at least one hundred leet from 
the street, was through an archway, four or five 
feet wide, running under the stores. 
Yours, most truly, 

OXYGEN-AIRIAN. 



31 



OuT-OF-TowN, y^ily, 1880. 

My young friend : 

In previous letters the Mill Pond and Mill Creek 
have been mentioned. It is well to state that the 
Old Mill was situated at the head of the Mill Pond, 
about one hundred feet west of Hanover street, 
just opposite Centre street. It was a large, wooden, 
3'ellow-painted grist mill ; and was in operation as 
late as 1808 ; how much later, do not know. After 
the water had been used in the mill, it ran oif 
through Mill Creek to the harbor. The creek was 
twenty-five or thirty feet wide, and was arched 
over for Hanover street to cross it ; thence it was 
open to Ann street, where there was a draw- 
bridge, which was never opened, as vessels never 
came above Ann street. They probably went 
from the harbor to the mill through this creek, 
during the latter part of the past century. All 
the back yards emptied into the creek, which was 
rinsed out by the tide twice in twenty-four hours; 
and yet it was not a savory place. 

The New South Church was, in 1806 an old 
fashioned, yellow painted wooden building on 
Summer street, near High street. John Thornton 
Kirkland was the pastor, and my first listening to a 
sermon was in the above year, when Dr.K. preached. 
He often held me on his knees when he visited our 
house, and when I saw him in the pulpit, am told 
that I greeted him with "please come down and 
see me doctor, and let me see your new silk 



32 

downd." When, several years afterwards, my 
parents occupied a pew in the Old South, Dr. 
Eckley was so severe in his demeanor that he was 
enough to frighten any but a very brave person. 
I remember that about seventy years ago, or about 
the time that dear, good Joshua Huntington was 
about to be settled, Deacons Salisbury and Phillips, 
and Messrs. Charles Sprague, Armstrong, Callen- 
der and others, succeeded in having the old wooden 
painted pulpit removed, and an elegant circular 
mahogany one erected, very much to the disgust 
of Dr. Eckley. The doctor had an impediment 
in his speech, or, rather, a hesitating way of speak- 
ing, and the first Sunday he was in the new pulpit 
he remarked, in the long prayer, (by way of im- 
provement) that •' he hoped the Lord would soften 
the hearts of the congregation, and not keep them 
as HARD as the ma hog-a-ny which they had intro- 
duced into His house." He was frightful, and his 
wig nearly came off in his wrath. 

Doctors Eckley, EHot and Baldwin all wore stiff, 
curled, powdered wigs ; Doctors Stillman and Mur- 
ray had wigs of natural hair, the former dark 
brown, the latter almost red. Dr. Kirkland wore 
no wig, nor did Dr. Lathrop, to the best of my 
recollection and belief. Nor did Dr. Channing. 

Dr. Samuel Stillman and Dr. Thomas Baldwin 
were the only Baptist ministers in Boston seventy- 
five years ago. Their meeting houses, as before 
stated, were in Back street, for the convenience of 
using the Mill Pond for baptising persons. Dr. 
Sharpe's house, built later on Charles street, was 



33 

on the edge of running salt water, for like reason. 
Dr. Lathrop preached in Middle street, somewhere 
about opposite Richmond street ; Parson John 
Murray, Universalist, had his place of worship 
also in Middle street, near Bennett; he died about 
1 8 lo. Dr. Eliot's meeting house was also in Middle 
street, farther down to north-end corner of (?) 
street. 

At that time there were three Episcopal churches 
in town : Christ Church, Salem street. Rev. Asa 
Eaton ; Trinity Church, in Summer street. Rev. 
Dr. J. S. J. Gardiner, and the Stone Chapel, 
(King's) Rev. James Freeman. The latter was, 
however, Unitarian, but using a printed form of 
service. There were two Methodist meeting 
houses, one in Bromfield Lane, the other in 
Methodist Alley, at the north end. Dr. Chan- 
ning's new meeting house in Federal street, corner 
Berry street, was then being built. There was 
also a Quaker meeting house in Congress street, 
nearly opposite Lindall's Lane. The only Romish 
church, Drs. Cheverus and Matignon, Franklin 
square; Dr. Buckminster's, in Brattle Square, and 
Dr. William Emerson's in Corn Hill. The latter 
was a wooden building and was torn down to make 
room for the brick block, since called Joy's Build- 
ing, opposite the south head of State street. If 
there were any more churches then I have forgot- 
ten them. 

Am not quite sure about Dr. Holley's church in 
HoUis street, and Dr. Lowell's in (or near) Cam- 
bridge street, but believe they were not built 



34 

much before 1810. The same about Dr. Griffin's, 
Park street. It is so long- ago that it can hardly 
be expected for me to remember dates so far off 
with absolute certainty. 

One thijig I am sure of, that seventy-two years 
ago there was not a single Irish servant girl in 
Boston; no, not one. All the "help " was native- 
born American ; help, indeed, of the best quality ; 
wages, one dollar a week. The recollection of 
this blissful condition of domestic life is one of the 
greatest comforts of my old age. Happy, happy 
days! 

The regular congregation at the Roman Catholic 
church consisted entirely of French, Spanish and 
Italian families; not more than one hundred at- 
tendants in all, besides stranger visitors, who were 
attracted by the music or by the peculiar services. 
Between 1805 and 18 10 I must have attended that 
church fifty times in company with an old female 
servant, who was a Romanist, although born in 
Connecticut. Have dwelt on this point some- 
what, because I wish to impress on your mind 
that, strange as it may appear to you now, Boston 
was really an American town in the early part of 
the present century. And not Democratic neither. 

Whether there was in ancient days a regular 
regimental organization of the military, the writer 
does not know. He never heard of anything but 
companies. Those uniformed, up to 1812, were 
the Cadets, then, as now, called the Governor's 
Life Guard ; the Winslow Blues, the Independent 
Fusileers, the Boston Light Infantry the Wash- 



35 

ington Light Infantry (composed mainly of Demo 
crats), and the Ancient and Honorable. Of course 
everybody knows that this is not really a military 
company composed of enlisted members. In for- 
mer years, when the Ancients paraded once a year 
on artiller}^ election day, each soldier wore the 
peculiar uniform of the company to which he 
belonged, and held officers wore the uniform and 
badges of their rank. So it was not unlikely that 
a Major-General would be seen shouldering his 
musket alongside of a Lieutenant of Cavalry, and 
the commanding officer might be the Major of 
Artillery. The same system, no doubt, prevails 
now, but the parade was much more picturesque 
when there was such a mixture of uniforms and 
colors than now, when all are dressed alike, and 
you can't distinguish a general from a lieutenant. 
There were some un-uniformed militia who met 
on the corners of the streets about twice a year 
for roll-call ; they had no armories, and each man 
kept his accoutrements at home. 

The New England Guards was organized in 
consequence of the war, soon after its commence- 
ment in 1 8 12. George Sullivan, a distinguished 
lawyer, was its first captain ; James Dalton, first 
sergeant. Mr. Dalton, Jeff. Richardson, Joseph 
West, Eben Thayer, and possibly one or two 
others, were the only persons living three or four 
years ago who were members of the original 
organization. The old uniform was very simple ; 
a single-breasted blue coat, with gilt buttons, black 
trowsers, round black hat (stove-pipe), with a black 



36 

leather cockade on left side, no plume or pompon. 
The Rifle Rangers, which was started some time 
after the N. E. G., had the same style of uniform 
as nearly as possible, excepting that the cockade 
was worn on the front of the hat. 

Yours truly, 

OXYGEN-AIRIAN. 



OUTOF-TOWN, July, 1880. 
My young friend : 

In 1 8 10, the Boston Post Office was in the old 
Exchange Coffee House, then kept by David Bar- 
num. This building was burned down about 181 8, 
and Barnum then went to Baltimore and estab- 
lished Barnum's there. Sam Topliff had his Read- 
ing Room in the old Exchange. In consequence 
of the fire, the Post Office and Reading Room were 
both removed to the ground floor of a row of 
stores, situated at the corner of Congress and 
Water streets. The room occupied by the Post 
Office was about flfty feet square ; then a space of 
about fifty feet for the convenience of boxholders, 
and the Reading Room requiring about another 
fifty feet, towards Liberty Square. 

Aaron Hill was postmaster, but I never heard of 
anybody who knew him personally, except his 
clerks. The business factotum was Leonard 
Holmes, and he had an assistant, David Childs, 
who attended the boxes, and about four or five 
younger clerks to do the rest of the work. The 



37 

Southern and Eastern mails were taken to and 
from the Post Office by the stages, which carried 
them in the baggage rack behind the stage. Any 
one mail could be carried in an ordinary hand-cart. 
After a while, Post Office and Reading Room were 
removed to the old State House, occupying the 
whole of the first fioor. The Post Office being on 
the Cornhill end, and Topliff's room facing down 
State street. Here they were when the writer 
left Boston, as a residence, nearly fifty years ago. 
This was before Nath Greene was postmaster. 

Everybody must know why the old burial ground 
between the Tremont House and Park Street 
Church is called the " Granary." But everybody 
dont know that in the old Granary building, the 
first suit of sails for the old frigate '* Constitution *' 
was made by my father. Reason — because bis sail- 
loft was not large enough to spread the sails in, and 
Charles Bulfinch, who was his old friend and 
*' Cheerman of the Se-lectmen," gave him permis- 
sion to use the Granary building. 

This reminds me that I have a little real estate 
behind the Granary walls, and have a right there- 
fore to be disgusted with a very common council 
which authorized the desecration of my property, 
b}^ the cutting down of those hundred and fifty 
year old elm trees, to make way for a railway track. 
It is safe to guess that not three members of that 
common council were Boston born boj^s ; only 
foreigners could have perpetrated such an outrage. 
The next thing you may expect within twenty years 
\vill be the levelling of Copp's and Beacon Hills. 



38 

It would only involve the destruction of the old 
North Church and of the State House which 
would then be an hundred years old. What's that 
to men whose grandfathers even were not Boston- 
ians? 

During the war of 1812, there was an old vessel 
fitted up as a prison ship ; she was moored in the 
mill-pond, alongside a new street which had been 
made, leading from Hanover street to Charlestown 
Bridge. The vessel lay within ten feet of the 
wharf, and a dozen prisoners might have been 
seen an)- day, on their way to Faneuil Hall, to get 
provisions for the day. These fellows fared a good 
deal better than our poor boys did at Dartmoor 
prison. 

I remember seeing Commodore Hull march up 
State street with Capt. Dacres having his arm, 
after the capture of the " Guerriere '' by the 
" Constitution," And, in company with many 
others, saw, from one of the islands in the harbor, 
the fight between the '' Chesapeake " and '' Shan- 
non." Two days before, saw poor Lawrence in 
State street. 

" From grave to gay, is often but a step." 
Seventy-five years ago there was but one theatre 
in Boston. That was called ** The Theatre," and 
was at the corner of Federal street and Franklin 
Square. Its proprietor and manager was Snelling 
Powell. He was not a play actor, but his wife 
was, and a magnificent lady she was too. Powell's 
residence was in Theatre Alley, and was connected 
with the rear of the theatre. 



39 

The writer hereof was taken to the theatre for 
the first time about seventy-three years ago. The 
regular company consisted of Mrs. Powell, Mr. 
and Mrs. Duff, Mr. and Mrs. Darley, Mr. and Mrs. 
Entwistle, Mr. Bernard, Mr. Dickenson, (later Jas. 
A. Dickson) and some minor actors. The first 
play I ever saw was the Forty Thieves, with all 
the above names in the cast except Mr. and Mrs. 
DufF. George Barrett here found his lovely wife 
in Miss Henry. 

About this time saw George Frederick Cooke 
in the characters of Sir Archy, Sir Pertinax, and 
others. He was followed by Thomas Cooper, the 
great American. At that time the call-boy of 
the theatre, who was a protege of my father, was 
an inmate of our family and my playmate. He 
afterwards went to New York, and was one of her 
most distinguished clergymen. Now retired, and 
uniformly designated *' venerable." 

The Tremont Theatre was not built until many 
years afterwards. After William Pelby didn't 
succeed in his management, he induced some of 
his friends to build a theatre for him, somewhere 
down on the Mill-pond lands ; believe it was called 
the Warren Theatre. If so, why ? 

In 1805 the number of book-sellers and pub- 
lishers, was quite small, compared to the present 
army. First came Manning & Loring, Cornhill 
and Spring Lane ; Munroe & Francis, Cornhill and 
Water street ; Lincoln & Edmands, Cornhill, two 
doors below Court street, and Caleb Bingham, 
whose store was demolished to make room for 



40 

New Cornhill. Caleb Bingham was a very hand- 
some gentleman ; he and Col. Apthorp were con- 
sidered two of the finest looking men in town, and 
both were thought to resemble Gen. Washington 
in features. 

Samuel T. Armstrong was an apprentice to 
Manning & Loring, and when his time was out he 
started a printing office and bookstore at No. 50 
Cornhill. About that time he was captain of the 
Warren Phalanx, a uniformed infantry company of 
Charlestown. In later years Crocker & Brewster, 
both apprentices to Mr. Armstrong, became his 
successors. Lincoln & Edmands' business Avas 
mostly in publishing Baptist books, and also a 
Baptist monthly magazine. Cummings & Milliard 
also had a bookstore up near the Old South, their 
trade was generally in school books, and they sup- 
plied largely the textbooks for Cambridge College. 
Mr. Cummings w^as the author of a school geog- 
raph}^ (?) Joseph West also kept a bookstore in 
Cornhill, and afterwards formed a partnership with 
Lemuel Blake, as West & Blake, and later as West, 
Blake & Richardson. 

Josiah and Benjamin Loring were brothers, but 
were not in business together. They, and Andrew 
J. Allen all had stores in State street, and were 
manufacturers of blank books for banks, insurance 
companies and merchants. They also sold general 
stationery, charts, sextants and other articles used 
by sea-faring men. Josiah Loring was the first 
person in the United States Avho used the ruling 
machine for blank books ; believe he was the in- 



ventor of it. Oliver C. Greenleaf, a polished gen- 
tleman and bachelor kept a general stationery 
store, with fancy goods, in Court street, near 
Cornhill. 

Those were the days when Boston was governed 
by Boston born men ; the above named gentlemen, 
and such as they, with the Bryants, Otis', Perkins' 
and the like, formed the Boards of Selectmen 
(before 1825). They never would have voted to 
have those old elms cut down. It makes me sad 
to think of the desecration. So, melancholy-ly, 

OXYGEN-AIRIAN. 



OUT-OF-TOWN, July, 1880. 

My young friend : 

It is rather a high temperature to write, or even 
think about dancing, but I jot down the first thing 
which comes to my mind. Seventy-five years since, 
there was but a single room in Boston in which 
great dinners, balls, and concerts could be given. 
This was Concert Hall, on the corner of Hanover 
and Court streets. For many years it was kept by 
a man named Eaton, and, with the exception of the 
official dinners and meetings at Faneuil Hall, it was 
the only place for flower shows, dancing parties, 
ventriloquists, and other kinds of shows. There 
were a couple of dancing masters at that time, who 
had but small accommodations for other than small 
classes in their parlors ; and there are doubtless 
several grandmothers in Boston to-day who re- 



42 

member with pleasure the good times they used 
to have at the sociables in Concert Hall, under 
George Shaffer and Master Turner. 

From seventy to seventy-five years since, the 
principal taverns in Boston were Earle's Coffee 
House, in Hanover street, on premises now part 
of the American House ; the Eastern Stage Office, 
No. 45 Ann street, and Patterson's, in Elm street. 
The first w^as the stopping place of the Southern 
mail coaches, that is, the stages to Worcester, 
Springfield, Hartford, New Haven and New York ; 
all the stages for Newbur3^port, Portsmouth and 
Portland had their headquarters at 45 Ann street 
(better known to everybody then as Davenport's, 
Hale's or Wilde's, "under the arch"), and the 
Salem, Watertown, Medford, Plymouth, and some 
other lines of stages, stopped at and started from 
Enoch Patterson's. 

The stable accommodations at all these places 
Avere very extensive, sufficiently so to accommo- 
date several hundred horses and vehicles ; for 
many persons would travel to town in their own 
chaises, or carriages ; and leaving those vehicles 
at the stable, v/ould take up their own quarters 
with friends in town. There was then a daily line 
of stages to and from Haverhill, driven on alter- 
nate days by their owners, Hiram Plummer and 
Samuel Prime, both wealthy and much esteemed 
gentlemen. The headquarters of the Haverhill 
stages were 45 Ann street. 

This famous (in those days) old tavern was, at 
the commencement of this century, the famiily resi- 



43 

dence of the Codmans. The house stood back from 
Ann street some hundred feet, with a fine garden in 
front, extending to the street, and overlooking the 
harbor ,there not being a single building between the 
house and the water. About 1 802 or 1 803, the front 
of the garden was covered by two three-story 
brick buildings, a wide archway in the centre being 
left for stages to drive around the house to the 
extensive stables on Centre street. This house was 
first kept as a tavern by Captain Palmer (a daugh- 
ter of whom now lives in Boston), who was suc- 
ceeded by Davenport {father of E. L. D., the actor). 
Hale, Davenport (again), and the brothers Ephraim 
and Solomon Wildes. Don't know their success- 
ors, until the whole was swept away. 

There are many yet living who remember with 
pleasure some of the old drivers of stages in the 
olden time. They were always good, substantial 
American men, and were fully the equals of those 
who rode behind them. If any should recall the 
names of Aleck Brown, Sam. and Jo. Robinson, 
Jack Mendum, William and James Potter, or Wil- 
lis Barnaby, they will thank me for bringing them 
to mind. The latter gentleman is the only person 
I ever heard who had literally '* looked into his 
own heart," or rather at it. An internal disease 
required that an incision should be made over his 
heart, and by placing a looking glass before it, he 
could see the beatings of that organ. 

Nearly all the other taverns in town were more 
specially for the accommodation of market people 
who brought in vegetables, poultry, fruit, eggs, 



44 

butter, &c., &c. These all had extensive stable 
room and sheds, and the principal one, the Dock 
Square Tavern, had a yard which ran through to 
Elm street, and could " put up " hundreds of 
horses and wagons. Before the Tremont House 
was built, this old tavern was kept for many years 
by Simeon Boyden, who afterwards went to New 
York and opened the Astor House. Asher Daven- 
port kept it in 1816. 

The Indian Queen Tavern was in Bromfield's 
Lane, probably where the Bromfield House now 
is. The Sun Tavern was at the end of Battery- 
march street corner of Hamilton street. The Lion 
Tavern and the Lamb were both in Newberry 
street, between Winter and Boylston streets, same 
side. The Green Dragon was in a street or lane 
opposite Union street (Friend street ?) This was 
not so much of an inn, as a chop-house or club- 
house. One or two masonic lodges met here be- 
fore the Hall was built in Ann street, just out of 
Union street. 

It was probably between sixty and seventy years 
since, that the Commercial Coffee House was built, 
foot of Milk street, and afterwards the Marlboro' 
was opened. This is the first public house in Bos- 
ton which was christened " Hotel " from the start. 
When steamboats first began to run on the Sound, 
between New York and Providence, it was from 
the Marlboro' Hotel that the stages started with 
the passengers for the steamboats. And it was 
quite a pleasant sight of a morning to see twelve 
to fifteen stages in a line, driving out over Roxbury 



45 

Neck. When the Providence railroad was built 
the stage people were not at all alarmed, and for a 
long time kept their stages going, threatening to 
kill the railroad ! 

Somewhere about 1813 my father purchased a 
small farm in Bradford, on the Merrimac River, 
and one day he had some urgent business in Bos- 
ton, so he started early on a Summer morning, in 
his " one-horse shay," a genuine Raynor. and drove 
to Reading for breakfast, thence to Boston, where 
he was engaged in business several hours. Return 
ing, he gave his horse a rest and feed at Andover, 
and arrived home early in the evening. The whole 
county of Essex rung with the news that Ben. H. 
had gone from Bradford to Boston and back in one 
day. Well, fifty-six miles a day for a horse is 
pretty good work ; but now dozens of people 
breakfast in Haverhill and Bradford, attend to 
their daily business in Boston, and return home to 
dinner. 

This paragraph has nothing particular to do 
with old Boston, but writing about stages reminds 
me that about 181 8, my father resided in Hanover 
street, in the mansion owned by John Coffin Jones. 
Lyman Beecher's meeting house was built on the 
site of the house. Directly opposite lived our then 
family doctor. One day the writer happened to 
be standing in the street, and the New York mail 
stage came rushing down at a furious rate. In the 
opposite gutter was a little shaver in petticoats, 
who had strayed like a lost lamb from the opposite 
yard and was studiously investigating the contents 



46 

of said gutter. Just before the stage reached the 
child, the writer rushed across, picked him up and 
slung him over the fence. Perhaps it was not of 
much consequence at the time, but if that child had 
been killed Nath. B. Shurtleff would never have 
been Mayor of Boston. 

The steps of the Exchange Coffee House were 
much used by James Wilson, the town crier, to 
announce the auction sales of Whitwell & Bond, 
Thomas K. Jones & Co., David Hale (afterwards 
of N. Y. Journal Commerce), and other auctioneers, 
who did chiefly congregate in Kilby street, near 
State. Jimmy was a great humorist, and altho' 
he made his living by crying, he was always in a 
most jovial mood. He generally closed the formal 
announcement of an auction by some quizzical re- 
mark to a bystander, for he knew everybody, and 
was on familiar terms with all sorts and conditions 
of men. 

Jimmy Wilson was often at his post about nine 
o'clock in the evening, ringing his bell loudly for 
several minutes to collect a large crowd, and then 
announcing a lost child, or a lost pocket-book. 
His account of the agony of bereaved parents 
would be heart-rending, when he would suddenly 
explode a joke which would start the crowd off, 
roaring. 

In the stage coach days of seventy odd years 
ago, it was the custom for travelers to leave their 
names on a call book at the stage office, and the 
coaches would often be an hour o:oin(i: from street 
to street picking up passengers, returning to stage 



47 

office in time to start punctually at the hour. On 
the arrival of the stages in town, probably half the 
passengers would stop at the stage house ; others 
who desired it \vould be carried to any part of the 
town. Boston was then not so " sizeable " as now, 
the number of inhabitants in 1810 being only about 
35,000. Yours, very truly, 

OXYGEN-AIRIAN. 



Out-of-town, Ji(fy, I880. 

Mj/ young friend : 

There were very few gentlemen in Boston, who, 
seventy j^ears ago, would think it was possible for 
them to wear other than an English hat. There 
were three or four prominent hatters who made it 
a specialty to import hats ordered by their regular 
customers. One was Colonel Daniel Messenger, 
whose store was in Newberry street, corner of 
Sheafes' lane, somewhere near where Chickering's 
piano factory now is ; and another was William 
Barry, who had a store in the old State House. 
There was also a hatter w^ho had not quite so 
stylish customers; his name was Sturgis ; kept at 
the corner of Ann and Centre streets. He was 
father of Captain Josiah Sturgis, for many years 
in command of revenue cutters ; and whose ex- 
tensive epaulettes and muchness of gold lace must 
be yet remembered by many. His sister Lucy 
was married to Joshua Bates, of Banng Bros., 
London, and their daughter Elizabeth became the 



48 

wife of the Dutch minister to England, Mynheer 
Van Der Weyer. 

This hat business came to my mind to day while 
thinking- over something which my father told me 
when I was a little boy, in order to impress upon 
my mind that *' it always paid well to be polite." 
He and Harrison Gray Otis were strong political 
friends, and were in the habit of speaking very 
plainly to each other. One day while walking to- 
gether, father said, " Brother Otis, why is it that 
your name is in the mouth of everybody as being 
such a fine man, such a perfect gentleman, such a 
good man, &c.? Now please tell me what have 
you ever done to entitle you to be so bepraised ?" 
" The thing is very simple, Brother Ben ; go up to 
Col. Messinger's and you will see by his books, 
that every year he orders four hats for me, and 
only one for you ; / bow to everybody I meet, 
3.ndj/ou dont; hence I wear out four times as many 
hats as you do " Mr. Otis made a satisfactory 
Mayor some twenty years afterward, probably 
counterbalancing his suavity of manner, against 
the energy and business push of his predecessor, 
Josiah Quincy. 

The papers have said something about a grand 
celebration to be held in Boston next fall. Won- 
der if there will be a sufficient number of Boston 
born i8oi-ers to fill an omnibus? My schoolmates 
at Muliiken's, seventy years ago, are all gone. The 
boys who sat with me at the head of the first class, 
have all left. Brad. Lincoln, Sam and Bob Stod- 
der, Seth and David Barnes, (twins), Jas. Arrock, 



49 

Will Lienow ; all away ahead of me now. By 
the way, if the grandchildren of any of those boys 
call on you to inquire about me, please give them 
my address, and paternal blessing. 

Oh, yes, there is one left, or was, in 1875, when 
this deponent last visted Boston, to assist at the 
centennial of Bunker Hill. This boy went into a 
Boston bank soon after leaving school, and never 
did anything else except to go out of it. I knew 
him, although he did not recognize me, not having 
seen me for sixty years. He greeted me as if he 
had been asked for a discount without collaterals, 
and hurried off very hastily, looking quite ivild. 
He used to live in Back street ; now probably in 
Avenue de Commonwealth. I wended my way 
to my host, the Temple Club. 

It may possibly interest some of your friends to 
know that two of their favorites in the theatrical 
profession were Boston boys. John Gilbert, for 
many years at VVallack's, New York, was a born 
North-ender, and when a boy of sixteen was smash- 
ing things generally (most boys do) in the crock- 
ery store of Atkins, opposite the Old South ; and 
at the same time, E. L. Davenport was a boy in a 
cloth house in Kilby street. The early friendship 
of the two boys, increased in strength until the 
death of the latter, as has been elsewhere stated. 
Mr. Asher Davenport, the father of E. L. D., kept 
the old tavern in Dock Square, about sixty-five 
years ago, long before Bayden, and it was at this 
house that the writer found that rare bird, a lov- 
ing, kindly mother-in-law. 



so 

A little less than seventy years ago, my 
dear (?) step-mother thought it would improve my 
mind by putting me in charge of Saml. T. Arm- 
strong, No. 50 Cornhill, to learn the printer's 
trade. To slightly paraphrase the language of the 
late lamented Isaac Watts, D. D., '' her only care 
was to increase her store, and keep her only (step) 
son, myself, as far away from home as possible." 
Hence we became a printer's devil, and spent a 
good deal of time in learning it, by blacking shoes, 
splitting and carrying wood, lugging market 
basket, acting as a living aqueduct for getting 
clean water up, and dirty water down three flights 
of stairs. Nevertheless, in reading proof, the un- 
dersigned did master the whole of Scott's Family 
Bible (*' in 6 vols, royal octavo, v/ith marg. ref. and 
prac. observ."), as can be certified to by Uriel 
Crocker, or Osmyn Brewster. I wonder if they 
remember, as well as I do, the terrifically heavy 
bread which was doled out to all of us boys when 

we boarded with Mrs. , in Court street, at 

$1.00 per week, per each victim. Of all the force 
which assisted at the first edition of Scott's Family 
Bible, &c., &c., none are above ground besides 
Uriel, Osmyn and yours truly. If any of our fel- 
low sufferers had any of Mrs. 's heavy bread 

in them when they left here, there will be no re- 
surrection of their bodies (creed notwithstanding), 
they being too heavily loaded. 

About 18 16 a strange feeling of uneasiness came 
over me, and nothing would do, but a voyage, 
** strange countries for to see." Hence, took 



51 

passage (in the forecastle, at $7 per month) in ship 
Suffolk, belonging- to Ropes & Peckman. Knocked 
about several years in Europe, Asia, Africa and 
the West Indies, until 1826, when I bid farewell to 
the ''sea, the sea, the open sea," professional!}^, 
with a handle to my name (not Mister), have since 
been working along shore, and it has been rumored 
that I have been of some service to my country- 
men in sundry ways. 

Now, stop that I think I hear 3^ou say " what 
has this got to do with old Boston?" Echo 
answers through me, "nothing at all." But why 
did you ask me in your last note to tell you some- 
thing about myself? It is your fault altogether ; 
for since these sketches were commenced at your 
request, to furnish a biographical memorial to Old 
Mother Boston, you will notice how hard has been 
the endeavor to keep out of sight that ugly letter 
*' I." It has been a constant struggle to have that 
egotistical vowel kept as much out of sight as pos- 
sible. So cease your growling, and your apology 
will be accepted by 

Yours, as ever, 

OXYGEN-AIRIAN. 



52 

OuT-oF-TowN, August, 1880. 

My young fricjid: 

Perhaps you will think that what is in this com- 
munication has very little to do with the autobio- 
graphy of Boston in the olden time. If you do 
so speculate, guess, allow, believe or reckon, you 
are mistaken. Firstly, you will see how easily a 
great good was accomplished, and Secondly, you 
may have some suggestions to make to certain 
shipowners, merchants and others, who are to hold 
a convention in Boston in October, to discuss mat- 
ters relative to the shipping interests of the coun- 
try. It will be well if they can devise some plan 
to re-introduce the American flag to the ocean 
upon our own merchantmen, and perhaps they may 
be induced to try to do something to improve the 
breed, or rather to create a new brood of Ameri- 
can sailors. Now, three-quarters of the officers of 
our ships are foreign born, as are nineteen-twen- 
tieths of the sailors which man our petty mercan- 
tile marine. 

Somewhere about sixty years ago, (say fifty- 
seven), the good ship Canton Packet, owned by 
Thos. H. Perkins, left Central wharf, Boston, bound 
to China. Her commander was a gentleman of the 
old school, a first-class navigator, thorough-bred 
merchant and true Christian. His demeanor was 
so quiet that he might have been mistaken for a 
country parson. The first and third mates were 
regular sailors, every inch of them, not too arbi' 



53 

trary or severe, but seemingl}'- having this idea 
constantly in their minds, " we must get all the 
work possible out of the boys ; study navigation ? 
pish!" 

The second mate was much the youngest ot all 
the officers; quiet and gentle in giving orders, and 
a great favorite with the men. A few days after 
leaving port, when ever}' thing had been made snug, 
the second mate informed the crew that it was the 
captain's wish that the men should not waste all 
their time, during their '^ w^atch below," in cards 
and other useless amusements. They might read, 
sing, play or mend clothes, but he didn't wish them 
to utterly waste their time in nonsense. 

The crew was composed entirely of Americans ; 
several Boston boys, the rest from adjacent tov/ns 
and Cape Cod. All had been fairly educated, with 
two exceptions, an old salt named Jerry, and 
George, a mulatto. The captain proposed that a 
portion of every watch below should be devoted to 
study ; that " 'tween decks, forrard," should be the 
school-room, and that he would teach navigation, 
mathematics, lunar observations, &c. The sugges- 
tion was gratefull}^ received by the crew ; the cap- 
tain gave his daily instructions (except on Sundays), 
in which he was constantly aided by the second 
mate, when his duties did not require him to be 
on deck. The ship went to Whampoa, Manila, to 
a port in Northern Europe, and returned to Bos- 
ton after an absence of fifteen or eighteen months. 
At the end of the voyage, there was not one of that 
crew (with the exceptions mentioned) who could 



54 

not, in case of an emergency, have navigated that 
ship to any required port. 

After the ship had been secured to the wharf 
(by the crew, not by stevedores,) and the crew 
were preparing to visit their families and friends, 
all hands were called aft, and were told that '' as 
you boys loaded the ship, you can, if you choose, 
discharge her, receiving stevedore's wages." A 
ver}' short consultation on the '' fo'csle " settled 
the question in the affirmative. The boys went to 
their homes, or friends at night ; took an early 
breakfast and in due time the ship was discharged. 
The next day, a variation of the formula was made, 
" boys the owner is going to have the ship hauled 
up for the present ; her sails are to be unbent, rig- 
ging unrove, spars to be sent down, in fact we 
want the ship stripped, and as you have already 
rigged her on the voyage, you can do the job if 
you like and get rigger's wages." The job was 
taken ; the ship hauled to a wharf at the North- 
end, and when the crew was paid off as seamen, 
stevedores and riggers, they were complimented 
very highly by the venerable owner. I don't be- 
lieve such a case has been duplicated in any port 
of the United States, within the past fifty years. 

Every one of that crew (exceptions noted) went 
out on his next voyage as an officer of a vessel. 
One of them took command of a brig. 

The old ship, a few years ago, met the same fate 
as the fellow did at the Delaware whipping post — 
she died of too much whaling. The good captain, 
the first and third mates, and all the crew besides 



55 

those to be mentioned, have all finished their last 
voyages. The good assistant schoolmaster, having 
advanced in his profession to shipmaster and owner, 
has for many years been identified with the com- 
mercial interests, not only of Boston, but of the 
world. He is wealthy, a nautical inventor, a 
scholar, merchant and gentleman. To sum him up 
in three words, he is Robert Bennett Forbes. 

Capt. Forbes, '' old Jerry," and the writer hereof, 
are all which remain of the *' Canton Packet " and 
her crew of 1823. "Old Jerry"* was in the 
*' Home " in Boston a short time since, doubtless 
provided for by the '' second mate." 

Now you see, my young friend, why you should 
have a talk with those Conventioners. It is all 
nonsense to build a vessel in Maine, fill her up with 
Scotch, Danes, Swedes, Lascars or Sandwich 
Islanders, with a captain having papers of natu- 
ralization, and then blow about encouraging 
American commerce. 

That the Lord may move this people to encour- 
age, not only the making of American vessels, but 
also the making of American sailors, this petitioner 
will ever pray, remaining, meanwhile, 
Yours very truly, 

OXYGEN-AlRIAN. 



*Capt. Jeremiah Tinkham died since tbe foregoing was wiitteu. —Axithor, 



MAfi 4 1904 

56 



APPENDIX. 



OUT-OF-ToWN, September i^th, 1883. 

It may not much interest the readers of the pre- 
ceding pages to be told the following story, but as 
it probably cannot be paralleled in the present 
century, I have concluded to write it out. 

In 1 81 7, or thereabouts, there were three appren- 
tices in a printing establishment on Cornhill, Bos- 
ton. The oldest one was 18 years of age, and was 
foreman of the printing ofhce ; the next, a few 
months younger, was at the head of the book-store 
connected with the establishment ; the youngest 
was what is technicall}^ called '' the Printer's Devil," 
and the writer hereof is that same. 

This day (September 14th, 1883), the two seniors 
called on the junior, and they had a very pleasant 
chat about '' old times." The seniors were part- 
ners in business sixty-five years ; one is president 
of a banking institution in Boston ; the other an 
active business man, a director in one of the lead- 
ing railroads. Both are wealthy, and accompanied 
by two of their grandchildren have just taken a 
trip to the White Mountains, New York, and other 
places. The united ages .of these three " fellow 
apprentices " is two hundred and fifty-four years 
and six months. 

There, do you think that "re-union" can be 
duplicated in any part ol the country? I don't. 

The Author. 



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